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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · pitcher · press · board · wake · trunk · wound · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. charge — in control
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wound — an injury
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bark — to shout
  17. press — a publisher
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wound — an injury
  21. charge — a price
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wake — a trail

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com